Sights Near Manila 1 - Tagaytay Highlands

If you're bored with Manila's traffic jam, heat, pollution , crowded malls and bars; or if you want a change in scenery, cooler air, green surroundings, scenic views, just get out of Manila and go to TAGAYTAY CITY, just an hour and 45 minutes away from the city through the Coastal Highway or South Expressway. There are buses that are going to this city from 8 am to 6 pm. The terminals can be found at Pasay City and Baclaran. Or you can just rent a car and drive up to Tagaytay.

Tagaytay City's main attraction is being the viewdeck of the Taal Volacano located 2, 500 meters below the city. Being in an elevated area, the average temperature is 22 degrees Celsius, which is very refreshing for people who are living in most of the hot lowland areas. The temperature can be lower than 22 degrees during the months of November to February. This is another popular reason for going to this city, to enjoy fresh and cool air.

The place is covered with hills and mountains with forests and open grasslands, with alternating flat and elevated areas. Scattered in these areas are fruit and flower farms, picnic groves, garden resorts & restaurants, backpackers' rooms for rent, spas, hotels, churches, convents, retreat houses, etc.

Activities mostly done by visitors to these areas are promenading, dining at the rows of numerous restaurants, overnight stays, trekking & boating to Taal Lake and volcano, vegetable, fruit, and flower shopping, picnics, etc. If you will ask me what I like to do there, its mostly food trip(mushroom burger, bulalo at Josephine's, coffee at Gourmet Cafe, lunch at Antonio's, buying maize on the roadside), chilling at Taal Vista Hotel, just simply driving around the hillsides. It's just near Manila and a day tour would be enough to enjoy the city of Tagaytay.